We Stop Ourselves - 10 Poems on CreativityDoubt & Self-Belief Read online

We Stop Ourselves

  10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt & Self-Belief

  Paul Whybrow

  Copyright 2015 Paul Whybrow

  Published by Paul Whybrow

  Cover Art: Google Images

  We Stop Ourselves

  10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt & Self-Belief

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold

  or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person,

  please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did

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  purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work

  of this author.

  Disclaimer

  This book is a work of fiction. While some of the place names are real, characters are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  We Stop Ourselves

  10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt & Self-Belief

  'It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;

  it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.'

  Seneca

  Contents

  The Poems

  Life Scrapes

  A Life In Brackets

  Stale

  We Stop Ourselves

  Believe in Yourself

  Things That Can't Be

  Backing Back

  Belief And Doubt

  Don't Think At All

  Other Ways

  The End

  About The Author

  Also by Paul Whybrow

  Novellas

  Short Stories

  Song Lyrics

  Poetry

  Novels 

  Connect with the author

  We Stop Ourselves

  10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt & Self-Belief

  Paul Whybrow

  Life Scrapes

  A strange word 'scrape'.

  One to indicate trouble

  endured and survived.

  Or prolonged effort,

  usually pointless.

  Detritus from barrels,

  offered to disgust.

  Shelter for animals

  from wind and prey,

  when found aground.

  Scars to the flanks

  of vehicles and vessels.

  Scraping away, I gouge

  scraps from the bedrock

  of my life for you to peruse.

  Scrappings of the meat

  of my heart that might feed

  you a while, though the quality's

  variable, like my love-life.

  Flensing flesh from bones

  might enrich your life,

  though sometimes I hit

  a nerve I thought long-dead.

  One that still transmits pain.

  Harvesting my life to write

  of sorrow, loss and hard-times,

  the scalpel of my creativity

  picks morsels of misery

  with forensic delicacy.

  These obscure life scrapes,

  nourishing as whole flesh.

  Long-forgotten stigmata—

  proof of my mortality.

  Burrowing my existence,

  there's a skin I sloughed off.

  I offer it to you—try it on.

  A Life In Brackets

  I've almost made it several times (I really have been close).

  I've been on the verge of great success (I only just missed out).

  I could claim it was down to luck (things didn't go my way).

  I'll try harder the next time (who cares what people think?).

  I loved you heart and soul (but you stabbed me in the back).

  I'll never find your equal (though it hasn't stopped me looking).

  I've been single for a while (who the hell would have me?).

  I'm used to being on my own (I live life as a hermit).

  I'm in good health (if I ignore clinical depression).

  I've no cause to complain (my knee grinds like gravel).

  I've done well to last this long (I had a stroke at 41).

  I expect I'll last the course, I'm only 59 (Dad died at 53).

  I'm quite optimistic these days (nothing's going right).

  I'm pleased how my writing's going (though it's ignored).

  Wealth doesn't mean happiness (I'm the poorest person I know).

  Things will brighten soon (I'm lost to endless night).

  Stale

  Say you don't mind

  about falling away.

  Fool to yourself,

  and knowing it's so.

  What can you do

  about luck gone bad?

  What's on the cards

  of a stacked deck?

  Broken dreams

  splinter your soul.

  Best keep it real.

  Stay where you are.

  Your life has gone

  stale.

  We Stop Ourselves

  Life is hard enough as it is.

  There's always someone there

  to do you down, aim a knife

  at your unprotected back.

  So why are so many people

  their own worst enemy?

  Instead of making friends

  with ourselves, we turn away.

  Ignore who we are and crush

  our own dreams to dust.

  Instead of believing we could,

  we insist that we cannot.

  I've stopped myself doing many things,

  afraid of failure, wary of looking a fool.

  Staying the sorry same is predictable,

  but risk-free and familiar.

  I could love a woman I know,

  she's ideal for me in so many ways.

  But I'm afraid of losing what I don't have—

  happiness with her! How silly is that?

  For years I didn't write a thing,

  not thinking my voice mattered,

  that my stories were of no interest,

  though people found me witty and wise.

  Do you want to lie on your death-bed,

  and think 'I'm glad I didn't do that.'

  Just get on with all those things

  that you've been wanting to do.

  They might come true….

  Believe in Yourself

  The hardest thing to do

  In life is the thing

  We all try to ignore.

  Not because it's hard,

  But that it's selfish

  And impossible.

  We'll look at anything

  Other than who we are.

  Deny our own worth.

  Self-loathing beats

  Loving yourself

  Most times.

  It's not a virtue

  To be an enemy

  To your self.

  It's not sinful

  To be a friend

  Of who you are.

  Many others

  Will oppose

  You.

  So why join

  in with

  them?

  Belief in anything

  Starts with you.

  Begin!

  Things That Can't Be

  What I want

  Is illusory.

  I've learned

  To do without.

  Dreams disperse.

  Hope mists-over.

>   All my wishes,

  Dust in the wind.

  Clinging to bedrock.

  The truth of who I am.

  I bid wise farewell

  To things that can't be.

  Backing Back

  Take it back, the way you lived.

  How you frittered away the years.

  Would you do things differently?

  What have you learned from life?

  Look over your shoulder reversing

  Down time's highway, for a lay-by.

  A place to stop to undo some wrong,

  Or take an opportunity you ignored.

  Will the change make such a difference?

  Things might get worse, not improve.

  You could be headed for the ditch.

  Or a head-on collision with yourself.

  Best keep your eyes on the road ahead.

  The rear-view mirror's for what you left.

  There's more around you than you're seeing.

  Enjoy the ride you're on—all is now.

  Belief And Doubt

  Believing in something,

  Being faithful to someone,

  Is no guarantee of happiness.

  Clinging to life's hand-holds

  Doesn't mean you won't fall.

  Hold on all you like

  To what you think is true.

  That security could crumble,

  If you grip too tightly to it.

  What will you have then?

  Better to have something

  Than nothing, you may think.

  Doubts are cold strangers

  Who hem you in with fear.

  Self belief may chase them off.

  But doubts are fonder friends

  Than they first appear, advising

  You to go a different way.

  The light of belief you cherish

  Has sage shadows best heeded.

  Don't Think At All

  Think that you can work it out?

  These things that trouble you….

  That your thought-processes

  Can find a way through.

  You may be over-thinking,

  Creating reasons to prevaricate.

  Problems are usually simple.

  We make them complicated.

  It's easy to miss the obvious.

  Looking for the perfect solution.

  Just grab the damn thing and do it.

  Don't think at all.

  Other Ways

  I tried all I knew.

  Made no progress.

  Stepped away, right back,

  Looked at the problem.

  Got a different perspective.

  Being away from it helped.

  Tried other ways,

  New ways of doing things.

  Tried other ways,

  And got the thing done.

  You've tried all you know.

  To get ahead in life.

  Worn your nose away

  On the grind-stone.

  Move safely away,

  Preserve yourself.

  Try other ways,

  New ways of doing things.

  Try other ways,

  To get your thing done.

  We've tried all we know.

  To get through together.

  Spinning our wheels,

  Getting nowhere fast.

  Need a fresh way

  Of moving forward.

  Try other ways,

  New ways of doing things.

  Try other ways,

  To get our thing done.

  The End

   

   

  About The Author

   

  Paul Whybrow has a young head on old shoulders.

  Ex many things, including being a teacher, counsellor,

  librarian, dispatch-rider, milk-man, postman, bar man,

  house renovator, classic vehicle restorer, courier,

  van driver, factory worker, project manager,

  live-in carer for the elderly, editor, photographer,

  volunteer at a community centre, play-schemes,

  homeless campaigns and nature conservation projects.

  I wrote non-fiction magazine articles for ages,

  but turned to creative writing in the summer of

  2013. I've been my own boss for a long time,

  which means I'm working for an idiot and the

  pay is lousy—but the holidays are great.

  Paul Whybrow has a good heart inside a battered chest.

   

  * * *

   

  Also by Paul Whybrow

   

  Novellas

   

  * A Man Out Walking His Dog—A tale of mistaken identity.

  * Burpwallow Holler—Loyalty in post Civil War America.

  * Quarry—A gangster becomes prey in a lethal reality TV show.

  * Ghosting—How a lonely biologist finds peace with the ghosts of her life.

  * Is It Her?—A new start is offered to a grieving widower.

  * A Blue Tomorrow—Temptation and new beginnings on a farm.

  * Hearts On Tour—Small town friends support one another.

  * What Would I Do Without You?—A newly-single wife begins life again.

   

  Short Stories

   

  * The Moon Is Out Tonight—Two soul-mates separated by circumstance.

  * Due-Date—A soul in limbo is given a new job.

  * Jacqui In Space—A 20th century explorer on 22nd century Mars.

  * Over And Out—Things come to a head on a 50th wedding anniversary.

  * In The Graveyard At Dawn—A boy and his dog among the graves.

  * Soul-Swapping—Moving souls, a demon tries to get back to hell.

  Song Lyrics

  * 12 Country & Western Lyrics—hope, regret and seeing things as they are.

  * 13 Kinds of Blue—trouble's your only friend, ain't it?

  * A Dozen Pops—love in a bubble always goes pop.

  * A Dozen Rocks—head down boogie along the highway.

  * Box of Love—songs of love and hope.

  * Howling For You—the sadness goes on and on.

   

  Poetry

   

  * Love Stages—Love affairs seen at different phases.

  * Love Begins—The thrill of the new, the nervousness and delight.

  * Love Ends—What do you do when things go wrong?

  * Love Hopes—How would you like love to happen?

  * Love Wishes—In an ideal world your affair would be like this...

  * Nature's Ways—Aspects of the natural world, happy and sad.

  * Modern Times—What it means to live in the 21st century.

  * Old Age Navigation—Ageing stinks, but it beats the alternative.

  * Darkness—Written from the endless night of the soul.

  * Darkness Darkness—We all have our dark side—how's yours?

  * Loneliness—The poverty of the soul, when you're alone.

  * Solitariness—The richness of the soul, when you go solo.

  * Poems To Ponder—Thoughtful and amusing poems for children.

  * Witches' Knickers—Silly and nonsense poems for young readers.

  * Hold Onto Yourself—Funny and warm poems for youngsters.

  * What Do You Like?—9 Erotic Poems

  * Building Story House—10 Poems on creating stories

  * Lost Among The Words—10 Poems about Writing

  * Friends And Other Confusions—10 Poems on liking others and yourself.

  * Chasing Big 'O'—9 Erotic Poems

  * Squeeze It—10 Poems on Creativity and Setbacks

  * We Stop Ourselves—10 Poems on Creativity, Doubt and Self-Belief

  * Love Scenes—10 Poems about love

  * Free To Fly—10 poems on getting through

   

  Novels 

  Coming soon:

  * The Perfect Murderer—a nov
el about a serial killer, who makes no mistakes.

   

  .

   * * *

   

  Connect with the author

   

  https://paulwhybrowblog.wordpress.com